Our early settlers were too busy to pay much attention to politics. Our vote
in the early years of last century was very meager, for the great contending
parties of a later date had not been formed and party lines were not yet
drawn. Most of our county officers were appointed by the Governor, and there
was but little excitement concerning elections. The Jackson-Clay-Adams contest
for president in 1824 brought about a bitter partisan feeling throughout the
country. For the first time in our county we had a real presidential contest
when John Quincy Adams was a candidate for re-election in 1828 and Andrew
Jackson was pitted against him. The official vote of the county, as published
in the Westmoreland Republican and Farmer's Chronicle of November 7, 1828 was
as follows:

The presidential election in 1832 when Jackson was a second time a candidate
for the presidency, and was opposed mainly by William Wirt, was equally
bitter, though not quite so one-sided, as the following record of the official
returns show:

Westmoreland County was then, like the state, strongly Democratic. For more
than fifty years it was a stronghold of Democracy, and was pointed to as the
"Star of the West". It was seldom in all these years that a Whig or
a Republican was elected to a county office. The notable exceptions of the
later elections were the election of Evans in 1860 as register and recorder,
and the election of James A. Hunter in 1879, as president judge, both being
elected by the Republicans. The election of Judge Hunter was brought about by
a dissatisfaction in the Democratic party with their nominee, A. A. Stewart.
Though a man of many good qualities, he was defeated by 1065 votes, while all
the other candidates on the Democratic ticket were elected. The year
following, though a strenuous effort was put forth by the Republican party to
carry the county, it was carried by the Democrats, though by somewhat reduced
majorities, and continued in the Democratic column until 1884. In that year an
unusually strong ticket was put into the field by the Republicans, headed by
George F. Huff as a candidate for the office of state senate. James G. Blaine
was then a candidate for the presidency. Having been brought up in an
adjoining county, he was unusually popular with a majority of Westmoreland
voters, who had watched his matchless leadership in Congress with an almost
paternal interest. Though a bitter contest ensued, the entire Republican
ticket was elected by several hundred majority, and Mr. Blaine came within
eight votes of carrying the county. In 1885 the county again went Republican,
but in 1886 it went Democratic, with the exception that Welty McCullough
carried the county and was elected to Congress, and James S. Beacon was
elected to the legislature. In 1887 the county went Republican, and in 1888
the greater part of the ticket was elected. In 1889 it was carried by the
Democrats by a greatly increased majority, and again in 1890, except that Mr.
Huff carried it as a candidate for Congress. In 1891 it was carried by the
Republicans, but by a very small majority, though P.F. McCann was elected
sheriff on theDemocratic ticket. In 1892 the successful candicates were about
equally divided between the two parties. In 1893 the Republicans carried it by
a very large majority, since which time it has been constantly in the
Republican column, with the exception that Judge Lucian W. Doty was re-elected
judge in 1899 by a small majority. In 1905 the Republicans renominated
Alexander D. McConnell for judge, and his nomination was endorsed by the
Democrat party, paying him thus a compliment hitherto unheard of in
Westmoreland politics. Following is a statement of great interest to every
resident of Westmoreland county, and is also valuable as a source of
information and for reference. It gives, in detail, the real estate valuation
and amount of taxation of every borough and township in Westmoreland county
for the year 1905. The figures are taken from the official records in
Controller Hitchman's office and are authentic, though it must be remembered
that the assessed value is rarely ever more than half its real value.

"Source: Pages 478-486, History of Westmoreland County, Volume 1,
Pennsylvania by John N. Boucher. New York, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906.
Transcribed January 2001 by Deborah Closey for the Westmoreland County History
Project
Contributed by Deborah Closey for use by the Westmoreland County Genealogy
Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/westmoreland/)

Westmoreland County Genealogy Project Notice:

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